These Candy Corn Cupcakes are a super easy Halloween cupcake that is perfect for a Halloween treat! These easy Halloween cupcakes are a simple cupcake that uses homemade frosting, colored and layered to look like candy corn. If you are looking for a kid friendly Halloween cupcake dessert this is an easy one to make.
Candy Corn Cupcakes
When I am making holiday treats I want them to be festive but I also want them to be easy. There is no time for over the top creativity here because well, I am always short on time. But it becomes an internal fight for me because I badly want to be creative and go all out for every holiday there is.
To solve this problem I have come up with many different holiday treats that look amazing but take a short amount of time to make. Plus are super easy to make too. These candy corn cupcakes are the perfect example.
Homemade cupcakes and homemade buttercream frosting is all I need. Well and a little bit of food coloring. Easy peasy and they look beautiful and are the perfect Halloween cupcake when I am done.
Halloween Dessert Recipes
Variations of Candy Corn Cupcakes
Color the cupcakes. I use Vanilla cupcake most of the time when I am making these easy Halloween cupcakes which is easy to dye the batter. If you want to color the batter to match the frosting divide batter into 3 bowls evenly. Use yellow food coloring and color one so you have a yellow batter. Color another one with orange food coloring to make orange batter. Then leave the third bowl white. When spooning the batter you will want to put it in yellow, then orange and then white.
Change up the cupcake flavor. If you want to change up the flavors there are lots of other cupcake flavors that you can use go for it. If you are looking for more cupcake flavors be sure to check out the other tasty cupcake recipes we have shared.
- Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
- Peanut butter cupcakes
- chocolate cupcakes
- blackberry cupcakes
- chocolate chip cupcakes
- strawberry cupcakes
- Angel Food cupcakes
Change up the buttercream. You will want to use a white frosting since you are going to be making the ghost cupcake topper with the frosting, but there are a few different options that will work well with this recipe. You can use vanilla buttercream, almond buttercream, marshmallow buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Make them low carb. If you are low carb or keto, you can also enjoy these fun Halloween candy corn cupcakes. You will want to use either sugar free vanilla cupcakes or keto chocolate cupcakes and sugar-free buttercream frosting.
Tips for Making this recipe
Choose the right tips for frosting. When you’re putting frosting on cupcakes, use a big round tip. For adding fine details, go with a smaller round tip.
Don’t Mix Too Much. When you’re blending your wet ingredients and dry ingredients, mix until they’re just combined. Mixing too much can make your cupcakes heavy.
Let Them Cool. Allow your cupcakes to cool completely to room temperature before adding the frosting. This keeps them from melting or getting too soft. I find cupcakes cool better when they are put on a wire rack.
Use a Piping Bag. If you want a perfect frosting swirl on top of your cupcake, like a ghost shape, use a piping bag. For decorating faces, use a piping bag with a small tip.
Use an Electric Mixer. I enjoy using my stand mixer for baking, but if you don’t have one, you can use an electric hand mixer and a big mixing bowl for this recipe.
Use cupcake liners. Paper liners are your best friend when baking cupcakes. They keep your cupcakes from sticking to the pan.
Preheat oven. Preheating ensures that the oven is at the right temperature when you start baking, which helps your cupcakes rise properly and bake evenly.
Use a boxed cake mix. With this cupcake recipe, you can use homemade cupcakes or make cupcakes made with boxed cake mix. I prefer homemade cupcakes, but in a pinch will use storebought. If using storebought you can use any flavor. If you want to color the cake mix be sure you get white cake mix.
Tips for Decorating Candy Corn Cupcakes
Properly fill the piping bag with frosting. If you have never filled a pastry bag with frosting check out how to fill a pastry bag with frosting.
Pip frosting with a cupcake frosting swirl. If you have never made a cupcake frosting swirl, it is super easy to do. Check out how to make a frosting swirls on a cupcake to learn how.
Garnish the cupcakes. I like to put a piece of candy corn on top of each cupcake to add a little more fun. You can also add yellow and orange sprinkles for a fancy touch.
How to Store Cupcakes
Storing cupcakes properly is important to maintain their freshness and flavor. Here’s how you can store cupcakes:
Room Temperature (Short Term): If you plan to consume the cupcakes within 1-2 days, you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container. Ensure the container is tightly sealed to prevent them from drying out.
Refrigeration (Longer Term): If you need to store cupcakes for a longer duration, like up to a week, it’s best to put them in the fridge. Place the cupcakes in an airtight container or wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Before serving, allow them to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes to restore their texture and flavor.
Can Cupcakes be frozen?
Yes, they can. You will want to freeze them without any frosting on them. Wrap them individually with plastic wrap and freeze on a baking sheet. Then once they are solid store them in a zip-close freezer bag. They will keep for up to 2 months when frozen.
To thaw, simply remove them from the freezer and defrost. Then frost as normal.
Candy Corn Cupcakes Ingredients
- 1 batch butter cream frosting
- 12 Cupcakes
- orange and yellow gel food coloring
How to Make Candy Corn Cupcakes
First make your cupcakes, while the cupcakes are baking make your frosting.
Cool the cupcakes completely.
Split the frosting evenly into 3 bowls, color one yellow, one orange, and leave one white.
Add the frosting to the pastry bags putting one color in each pastry bag. You will want to use a large tip for each color when setting up the pastry bags.
Pipe a single layer swirl on the cupcake with the orange-colored buttercream on each cupcake.
Using the yellow colored buttercream, pipe a single layer swirl just a little smaller on top of the orange swirl on all of the cupcakes.
Then pipe a single layer swirl just a little smaller on top of the yellow with the white buttercream on all of the cupcakes.
Top with a piece of candy corn.
Spooky Recipes for Kids
- Spider Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Monster eyeball cookies
- Vampire Cookies
- Jack Skellington Cookies
- Cup Of Dirt Cupcakes
- Ghost Cheese Sticks
Candy Corn Cupcakes
Material
- 3 Large round pastry tips
- 3 Pastry Bags
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Butter
- 1.5 cups Shortening
- 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 3 pounds Confectioners sugar
- 2 1/4 tablespoons hot water
- Food Coloring
Instructions
Buttercream Directions
- Bring the butter to room temperature. Do NOT put it in the microwave to soften, put it on the kitchen counter and soften.
- Add the butter and the shortening to the bowl of the stand mixer bowl. Using the paddle handle on the mixer to combine the two on medium speed.
- Once butter and shortening are combined slowly add in the confectioners sugar and mix it little bit little until the sugar is incorporated into the butter/shortening mixture.
- If the frosting is thick add a little water a little bit at a time until you get to the consistency you are wanting.
- Set the frosting aside until the cupcakes are done cooling.
Vanilla Cupcakes Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pans with your choose of cupcake wrappers.
- Place your self-rising flour, cake flour, and sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Mix them together for a minute or two until they are well combined.
- Cut your butter into tablespoon pieces. Slowly add your butter into the flour mixture one piece at a time continue mixing until you have reached the texture of sand.
- Pour half of your milk into the flour mixture and mix just until the milk is incorporated. Use your rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of your bowl. Add your remaining milk and the vanilla to your batter and mix until combined.
- Slowly add in one egg at a time to the cake batter, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next egg.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling them 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for 10 minutes then rotate the cake pans so the pan that was on the top rack is now on the bottom and the pan that was on the bottom is now on the top rack. Continue to bake for another 10-13 minute until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cupcake.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack until they have reached room temperature.
How to Make Candy Corn Cupcakes
- First make your cupcakes, while the cupcakes are baking make your frosting. Cool the cupcakes completely.
- Split the frosting into 3 batches, color one batch yellow, one batch orange and leave one batch white. Use gel food coloring to color the frosting.
- Add the frosting to the pastry bags putting one color in each pastry bag. You will want to use a large tip for each color when setting up the pastry bags.
- Pipe a single layer swirl on the cupcake with the orange colored buttercream on each cupcake.
- Using the yellow colored buttercream, pipe a single layer swirl just a little smaller on top of the orange swirl on all of the cupcakes.
- Then pipe a single layer swirl just a little smaller on top of the yellow with the white buttercream on all of the cupcakes.
Comments & Reviews
Jordan says
How clever! I definitely want to try this!